Showing papers in "The Journal of Education for Business in 2005"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors surveyed undergraduate students at a large northeastern business school concerning influences on their choices of major and examined factors such as why students initially select particular majors and which positive and negative factors relate to any later changes in those choices.
Abstract: In this study, the authors surveyed undergraduate students at a large northeastern business school concerning influences on their choices of major. The authors examined factors such as why students initially select particular majors and which positive and negative factors relate to any later changes in those choices. Results show that interest in the subject was the most important factor for incoming freshmen, regardless of gender. For women, the next most influential factor was aptitude in the subject. However, men were significantly more influenced by the major's potential for career advancement and job opportunities and the level of compensation in the field. Students appeared to be driven to change their major because of positive factors about the new major, rather than negative factors related to the old major.
248 citations
TL;DR: The application of the balanced scorecard (BSC) in the business sector is well documented, but very little research has been reported regarding the adaptation or application of BSC in the education sector.
Abstract: Although the application of the balanced scorecard (BSC) in the business sector is well documented, very little research has been reported regarding the adaptation or application of the BSC in the education sector. In this article, the authors (a) describe how the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence has adapted the concept of the BSC to education and (b) discuss significant differences as well as similarities between the BSC for business and the BSC for education. The authors also present examples of the BSCs of three Baldrige Education Award recipients.
197 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the degree to which technology enhanced actual student learning and whether individual characteristics of the student population moderated this relationship, and they found that the incorporation of technology in the classroom does enhance student learning, and that this relationship is moderated by student characteristics.
Abstract: Despite widespread acceptance of technology in the classroom, there is little empirical research on the effectiveness of students' use of technology in enhancing their learning. To date, studies suggest that students perceive technology to be a useful learning tool; however, research has not linked the use of technology to actual student performance measures. In this study, the authors examined the degree to which technology enhanced actual student learning and whether individual characteristics of the student population moderated this relationship. The results suggest that the incorporation of technology in the classroom does enhance actual student learning and that this relationship is moderated by student characteristics.
143 citations
TL;DR: This article investigated the impact of course design on both actual and self-reported student outcomes, and found that students perceived active course designs to be more useful to their future than passive designs, however, course design appeared to have no impact on student grades, satisfaction, or perceptions of how a course was conducted.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of course design on both actual and self-reported student outcomes. The authors examined data gathered from three courses, each with a different design, during one semester at a major university in the Southwest. One passive design was used and was patterned after the traditional method of lecture, notetaking, and multiple-choice exams. Two active designs were used. One active design was a participative course where students helped plan the course by developing the syllabus and deciding what criteria should be graded. The other active design was experiential in nature where students were exposed to assignments and activities designed to simulate real-world tasks and experiences. Results indicated that students perceived active course designs to be more useful to their future than passive designs. However, course design appeared to have no impact on student grades, satisfaction, or perceptions of how a course was conducted.
132 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors performed a statistical analysis to investigate whether grade inflation existed in the business school at a small private college in the northeast region of the United States and found that grade inflation exhibited a linear trend over a 20-year period.
Abstract: The authors performed a statistical analysis to investigate whether grade inflation existed in the business school at a small private college in the northeast region of the United States. The results showed that grade inflation existed and exhibited a linear trend over a 20-year period. The authors found that grade inflation was related to faculty status with significant differences seen between mean grade point averages of students being taught by tenured and adjunct faculty and between those students taught by nontenured and adjunct faculty. They also found that average grades given by adjunct faculty were higher than those of either tenured or nontenured faculty. Thus, the results indicate the increased use of adjunct faculty exacerbates grade inflation in higher education.
97 citations
TL;DR: It is found that GPA and expected course grade were correlated positively with using the deep approach to studying, and women and students who were more mature and senior employed theDeep approach more often than did other students.
Abstract: Significant education research has focused on the study approaches of students. Two study approaches have been clearly identified: deep and surface. In this study, the author examined the way in which students approach studying introductory accounting courses. In general, he found that GPA and expected course grade were correlated positively with using the deep approach to studying. Compared with other business majors, accounting and nonbusiness majors used more deep and fewer surface approaches to studying. In addition, women and students who were more mature and senior employed the deep approach more often than did other students. The results have implications for the accounting instructor in these critical introductory courses.
82 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated factors related to affective organizational commitment in undergraduate interns and found that job challenge, supervisor support, and role stress as antecedents to commitment.
Abstract: In this study, the authors investigated factors related to affective organizational commitment in undergraduate interns. They examined job challenge, supervisor support, and role stress as antecedents to commitment. Results based on a sample of senior undergraduate students (N = 71) showed that the 3 work variables explained 35% of the variance in affective organizational commitment. The authors discuss implications for educators and managers in charge of designing and implementing quality internships.
80 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated an online plagiarism detec- tion system to determine whether (a) it would be practical to use in an academic setting and (b) it had an effect on student plagiarism.
Abstract: In this study, the author evaluated an online plagiarism detec- tion system to determine whether (a) it would be practical to use in an acade- mic setting and (b) it would have an effect on student plagiarism. The author analyzed graduate student papers for plagiarism over the course of 5 semesters. Students in the last 3 semesters plagiarized significantly less than did students in the 1st semes- ter, suggesting that students' aware- ness of the system and its use by the instructor may have acted as a deter- rent to plagiarism. Results showed that the system was a viable means to detect and discourage plagiarism in an academic environment. The author provides conclusions, limitations, and recommendations for faculty use of a plagiarism detection system.
80 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated individual perceptions of simulation team dynamics and their relationship to student affect regarding the simulation as well as simulation performance in a sample of 172 responding students and found that student's affect regarding simulation game was influenced by student team cohesion and student team independence.
Abstract: In many business courses, computer-based simulations are becoming a popular choice of pedagogical technique, yet research is only beginning to consider how these simulation games impact student outcomes. In this study, the author investigated individual perceptions of simulation team dynamics and their relationship to student affect regarding the simulation as well as simulation performance in a sample of 172 responding students. The results showed that a student's affect regarding the simulation game was influenced by student team cohesion and student team independence. Alternatively, student simulation performance was influenced by team heterogeneity, opportunistic practices, and hypothesis-driven thinking. These findings encourage instructors to consider thoughtfully the outcomes they want students to experience when structuring student teams that will participate in simulation learning games.
74 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the impact of culture on the process of adapting to academic employment and life in Cairo, Egypt and the meaning derived from her experience abroad as a professor of management and adult learner.
Abstract: In this study, the author explored (a) the impact of culture on the process of adapting to academic employment and life in Cairo, Egypt and (b) the meaning derived from her experience abroad as a professor of management and adult learner. Experience with global travel may help instructors empathize more with foreign students and expatriate managers who are attending classes or executive MBA programs in the United States. In addition, the author sought to stimulate the sharing of similar experiences so that faculty members are better prepared to teach in foreign countries and conduct research during expatriation. She hopes to continue the discussion regarding the transferability of American management theories to foreign countries.
70 citations
TL;DR: In an attempt to integrate seemingly disparate functional disciplines, a number of business programs have combined courses as discussed by the authors, in which team teaching is a popular trend in business education. Regardless of the...
Abstract: Team teaching is a popular trend in business education. In an attempt to integrate seemingly disparate functional disciplines, a number of business programs have combined courses. Regardless of the...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the use of a television game show, Jeopardy, as a means of enhancing learning and found that games motivate students to actively participate in the learning process, encourage teamwork, and are as good as traditional means for reviewing management theories and vocabulary.
Abstract: Those who teach in colleges and universities are often faced with large class sizes and a diverse student population. To reach this diverse student population, educators are finding it necessary to incorporate new teaching practices. In this article, the authors examine the use of a television game show, Jeopardy, as a means of enhancing learning. The researchers discovered that games motivate students to actively participate in the learning process, encourage teamwork, and are as good as traditional means for reviewing management theories and vocabulary. Students reported that the use of games was an appropriate method of instruction that facilitated their learning. Students also indicated an overall preference for a participatory course and viewed other students as actively participating when games were used in courses.
TL;DR: The authors investigated faculty members' preferences regarding the use of technologies as instructional tools in management courses and found that course subject and classroom environmental factors did not affect their use of preferred technologies; however, time constraint was an issue for most of the faculty members.
Abstract: In this study, the authors investigated faculty members' preferences regarding the use of technologies as instructional tools in management courses. They mailed surveys to 500 management faculty members nationwide; 124 were returned with usable data. Respondents indicated that course subject and classroom environmental factors did not affect their use of preferred technologies; however, time constraint was an issue for most of the faculty members, particularly for women. Female faculty members were also more likely than their male colleagues to see their perception of students' learning style as limiting the effective use of their preferred instructional technologies.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors suggest that the effectiveness of team-learning pedagogy remains underused among educators in institutions of higher education, and suggest that team learning should be used more often.
Abstract: Considerable attention has been given to the efficacy of team-learning pedagogy, yet the methodology remains underused among educators in institutions of higher education. We suggest that the perce...
TL;DR: The use of sabbaticals as a means to improve employee motivation and morale is growing rapidly as companies seek ways to retain their star performers and fight the effects of job burnout as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The use of sabbaticals as a means to improve employee motivation and morale is growing rapidly as companies seek ways to retain their star performers and fight the effects of job burnout. In this article, the authors examine the various forms of sabbaticals in diverse industries, the reasons for their use, and the relevant benefits and concerns for organizations and employees. The authors' review of current literature suggests that the adoption of sabbaticals can have positive effects on both business organizations and employees. They conclude with implementation strategies for making sabbaticals work effectively and suggestions for possible future research on the issue.
TL;DR: This paper examined a larger set of variables to identify predictors of student performance on the Educational Testing Service Major Field Exam in Business, which has been shown to be an externally valid measure of student learning outcomes.
Abstract: Extending previous studies, the authors examined a larger set of variables to identify predictors of student performance on the Educational Testing Service Major Field Exam in Business, which has been shown to be an externally valid measure of student learning outcomes. Significant predictors include gender, whether students took the SAT, and grades (using grade point averages for either business core and preadmission courses, or loadings on four factors identified as general, quantitative, accounting, and management). Site (on- or off-campus), age, transfer status, and major (accounting vs. business administration) were not significant. In a further extension of previous studies, the authors discovered significant interactions between some predictors.
TL;DR: This article examined student and faculty expectations regarding college student course work behaviors and found that students and faculty members generally agreed on how hard students have to work in an academic environment and discussed some gender differences in students' expectations.
Abstract: In this study, the authors examined student and faculty expectations regarding college student course work behaviors. Three hundred and eighty-seven students and 52 faculty members from the same university completed surveys designed to measure their perceptions of the amount of student effort required to earn an A, B, C, or D letter grade. Findings show that students and faculty members generally agreed on how hard students have to work in an academic environment. The authors discuss some gender differences in students' expectations.
TL;DR: A method for assuring the quality of curriculum design based on techniques that have been used in industrial settings for over 30 years is described and an example showing how to apply these principles and techniques to business curriculum and course design in the academic domain of Management Information Systems is provided.
Abstract: In this article, the authors describe a method for assuring the quality of curriculum design based on techniques that have been used in industrial settings for over 30 years. Quality Function Deployment assures that the needs of the customer are considered at all levels of product design and a graphical matrix called the House of Quality serves as an aid in achieving its objectives. We provide an example showing how to apply these principles and techniques to business curriculum and course design in the academic domain of Management Information Systems. The resulting curricula will be more likely to address the needs of the employers of business school graduates and the resulting documentation will be valuable in guiding subsequent curriculum redesigns as the needs of business evolve.
TL;DR: The authors examined whether introductory marketing textbooks contain the information that is needed to educate future business leaders about the important role of environmentally sustainable practices and concluded that business schools have yet to incorporate this vitally important area into their curricula, in part because available textbooks lack sufficient coverage.
Abstract: In this study, the authors examined whether introductory marketing textbooks contain the information that is needed to educate future business leaders about the important role of environmentally sustainable practices. We content-analyzed the 21 current introductory marketing textbooks for coverage of these practices. The results showed limited, sporadic coverage of specific issues, with modest exposure to general environmental awareness. The audit indicated that exposure in pricing issues is more deficient than in other elements of the marketing mix. The 6 market leader texts were only marginally better at coverage than were the others. We concluded that, in the case of the environmentally sustainable practices, business schools have yet to incorporate this vitally important area into their curricula, in part because available textbooks lack sufficient coverage.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors re-examine the issue in a marketing context, and the findings suggest that, under certain conditions, students tend to perform better with more frequent testing and that more frequent tests tend to increase student evaluations of faculty.
Abstract: Testing frequency has long been examined in the social sciences as an antecedent to student performance in the classroom. However, after nearly 70 years of study, the results are inconclusive. Given the developments in computerized testing over the last decade, professors now have the ability to create and conduct frequent tests without severely impinging on other duties. In this article, the authors reexamine the issue in a marketing context, and the findings suggest that, under certain conditions, students tend to perform better with more frequent testing. In addition, more frequent testing tends to increase student evaluations of faculty. The authors also discuss reasons for and limitations of these findings.
TL;DR: One of the newest Internet applications, the Weblog, or blog, is rapidly increasing in number as well as expanding in use as mentioned in this paper, which is a perfect fit for use in written business communication courses because of the ease with which writing examples illustrating various components of business messages can be easily and readily accessible on the Internet.
Abstract: One of the newest Internet applications—the Weblog, or blog—is rapidly increasing in number as well as expanding in use. Blogs are used in various segments of society, including the business and educational worlds. They are a perfect fit for use in written business communication courses because of the ease with which writing examples illustrating various components of business messages can be made easily and readily accessible on the Internet. These writing examples can be used in a variety of ways to help students improve their writing skills.
TL;DR: The method provides a mechanism for providing greater guarantee of anonymity to the student respondents and suggests that the method provides significant benefits for improving both the summative and formative value of SETs.
Abstract: In this article, the authors propose a method of course management system (CMS) administration of student evaluations of teaching (SETs). The method provides a mechanism for providing greater guarantee of anonymity to the student respondents. The authors report on a case study in which this guarantee was likely a significant factor contributing to the increase in response rates for online submissions. In addition, the results suggest that the method provides significant benefits for improving both the summative and formative value of SETs.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors queried senior undergraduate business students in four different majors regarding their perceptions of how helpful 25 different pedagogical strategies were in facilitating their learning and found that the business majors gave different ratings to almost half of the pedagogy strategies used in the study.
Abstract: In this study, the author queried senior undergraduate business students in 4 different majors regarding their perceptions of how helpful 25 different pedagogical strategies were in facilitating their learning. The author sought to determine whether certain pedagogical strategies proved to be more successful within specific business-major curricula than others. The business majors gave different ratings to almost half of the pedagogical strategies used in the study. These results should be useful to business faculty members in developing and selecting pedagogical strategies that facilitate student learning.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the validity of the GMAT for non-U.S. students through a predictive validation procedure in which applicants were given the predictor test but the test results were not used to admit students.
Abstract: In this study, the author examined the validity of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) for non-U.S. students (N = 75) through a predictive validation procedure in which applicants were given the predictor test but the test results were not used to admit students. The author's business school admitted students to three overseas MBA programs. The author then gathered academic performance data (MBA grades) and correlated the predictor (GMAT) with the criterion (MBA GPA). The findings showed that the correlation between the two was. 64 (p <.001), meaning that 41% of the variance in MBA academic performance was explained by the GMAT. This number is higher than the corresponding one for U.S. students. The findings indicate that the GMAT was a valid predictor of academic performance in an MBA program for these non-U.S. students.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate the current status of the master's of business administration (MBA) degree, update these three developments of the degree programs, and reflect on the MBA degree's prospects for the future.
Abstract: The popularity of the master's of business administration (MBA) degree has resulted in booming enrollments in the United States and around the world. In the late 1990s, the MBA degree seemed to be in danger of being taken over by trends in high technology. First, forprofit providers gained students and credibility to such an extent that respected traditional not-for-profit universities were tempted to create new for-profit subsidiaries. Second, online delivery became the "medium of the future." Third, the dot-com explosion made technology-related programs attractive. In this article, the authors evaluate the current status of the MBA, update these three developments of the degree programs, and reflect on the MBA degree's prospects for the future.
TL;DR: This paper found that faculty view communication and cognitive skills as relatively more important than other skills and that faculty members' beliefs about the importance of different skills have not changed since 1995, and also, faculty beliefs fall into a stable structure of five basic skills groups (management, cognitive, communicati...
Abstract: The need to improve the professional skills of those with marketing degrees has spurred surveys of current students, alumni, practitioners, and faculty about the importance of various professional skills; however, previous surveys of marketing faculty have focused only on computer skills. To address this limitation, the goals of this study were (a) to identify marketing-related skills that students, alumni, and practitioners believe to be important; (b) to assess the importance that marketing faculty currently assign to these skills; and (c) to determine if faculty beliefs about these skills are longitudinally stable. The results of two original national surveys, fielded in 1995 and 2002, show that faculty view communication and cognitive skills as relatively more important than other skills and that faculty members' beliefs about the importance of different skills have not changed since 1995. Also, faculty beliefs fall into a stable structure of five basic skills groups—management, cognitive, communicati...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identified variables that predict college student dropout from a business school and used point-biserial correlations to determine the relationship of each independent variable to dropout.
Abstract: In this study, the authors identified variables that predict college student dropout from a business school. In the 1st phase of the study, they collected information from students (N = 403) in the 2nd semester of their freshman year. Then they collected dropout data from the same students 4 semesters after the first phase. The authors used point-biserial correlations to determine the relationship of each independent variable to dropout. Three factors showed a significant correlation with future dropout: 1stsemester GPA, 1st-semester average course evaluation, and perception of financial difficulties.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the effectiveness of the screening/remedial system and concurrent effects on performance and found that students who passed the pretest or accounting cycle class received significantly better grades in intermediate accounting than did students who failed either the pre-test or the 1-unit course.
Abstract: As of Fall 1996, San Francisco State University changed its introductory financial accounting course to focus on a "user's" perspective, de-emphasizing the accounting cycle. Anticipating that these changes could impair subsequent performance, the Department of Accounting instituted a new prerequisite for intermediate accounting: Students would have to pass either a pretest or a 1-unit course focusing on the accounting cycle. In this study, the authors analyzed the effectiveness of the screening/remedial system and concurrent effects on performance. They found that students who passed the pretest or accounting cycle class received significantly better grades in intermediate accounting than did students who failed either the pretest or the 1-unit course and than students who did not take either the pretest or the 1-unit class. This finding implies that this form of pretest/remedial course screen would be effective in similar universities in which a large percentage of accounting majors have taken introducto...
TL;DR: In most states, students who sit for the certified public accountant (CPA) examination are now required to have 150 credit hours of college education as discussed by the authors, which may deter some women from pursuing the CPA, but would not be a deterrent for minorities.
Abstract: In most states, students who sit for the certified public accountant (CPA) examination are now required to have 150 credit hours of college education. In this article, the authors examined the effects of this requirement on the career intentions of women and minorities. The authors collected data from 600 accounting students and the results suggested that the 150-credit-hour requirement might deter some women from pursuing the CPA, but would not be a deterrent for minorities.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide insight into alumni perceptions of Master of Business Administration (MBA) program return on investment (ROI), assessing the relative value of skills, knowledge, and teaching methods in explaining ROI.
Abstract: In this article, the authors provide insight into alumni perceptions of Master of Business Administration (MBA) program return on investment (ROI). They sought to assess the relative value of skills, knowledge, and teaching methods in explaining ROI. By developing insight into the drivers of ROI, the real utility of MBA program ingredients can be used for program positioning. The use of ROI is increasing throughout marketing and other business units, and its application as an outcome metric in the academy has become increasingly overdue.